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I.STUART.' RESIL |ENT WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28. 1919.

1,3 1 1,024. Patented July 22, 1919.

lim g ms COLUMBIA PLRNDGRAPH 60.,WASHINGTON. D. C.

JOHN STUART, OF ST. KILLDA, MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.

. RESILIENT} Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 22, 1919.

. Application filed January 28, 1919. Serial No. 273,581.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J OHN STUART, a subject'of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and aresident of the city of St. vKilda,

a suburb of the city of Melbourne, in the county of Bourke, State of Victoria, Gom- .n1onwealth of Australia, and. whose postoffice address is 19 Addison street, in the said city of St. Kilda, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Resilient WVheels, of which the following is aspeoification.

This invention relates to resilient'wheels.

adapted for use with either solid, cushion, or pneumatic tires and is more particularly concerned in improvements-in the type of wheel described in my prior UnitedS'tates Letters Patent No. 1266343, dated May 14th, 7

The object of the present invention is to simplify, cheapen, and generally improve the construction of the abovementioned type of wheel by the use offewer parts. which may also be more: easily andquickly assembled to form the complete wheel.

Referring to the drawings which form part of this specification a Figure l is a side view .of portion of the hub element of the improved wheel.

Fig. 2 is a part cross sectional and part end view of the hub element.

Fig. 3 isa side elevation of portion of i the folly.

Fig. 4 is a part sectional and part end view of Fig. 3.

plates. j Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the segmental cushions.

Fig. 7 is a sideelevationofasegmental cushion showing portion of the hub element and the felly in dotted lines to illustrate the relative disposition of the retainingpins and ends of the cushion before it is compressed into place.

Fig. 8 shows a cushion after being circumferentially compressed into place between the hub element and the felly but'before being radially compressed. a

Fig. 9 shows a modification of theseg mental cushions.

Fig. 10 is a side View of the complete wheel the outer side plate being removed from the right hand half of thefigure.

i1. is across section of Fig. 10. the upper portion. being. taken between tweet the cushions and through an abutment while the lower section is taken through a cushion.

The invention includes a hub element which may be of any suitable material preferably wood. The hub element comprises a hub 2 from which radiate spokes 3. Secured to, the outer end of the spokes is an in- .ner. rim 4: in which are formed lateral bolt holes 6 to pass holdingbolts hereinafter referred to.

Encircling. the inner rim 4 is a metal binding ring 7-which holds the parts of the hub element securelytogether. Protruding from .the outer periphery of the metal binding ring 7 are a series of radial projections or abutments 8. These projections, may be formed integral with the binding ring 7 or may be attached thereto in any suitable manner. They are located centrally on the outer periphery of the hub element as seen' .in Fig. Qandare of less width than said outer periphery thereby forming between each side of the projections or abutments and the adjacent side of the inner rim a a space to accommodate the annular flanges of side plates hereinafter described. The

.ends of the projections 8 are undercut as shown formlng lncllned or dovetailed end faces 9 which converge inwardly 1n relatlon to the hub element. By this means an overhanging locking peak. 11 is formed at each end of the abutments or projections 8.

Surrounding the hub element is a felly 12, the internal diameter of this felly is greater than the external diameter of the Fig. 5 is a. similar view of one of the side hub element, an annular space being thereby 1 formed between the hub element and the felly. The felly may be constructed of any suitable material but is preferably com- ,posed of wood and attached to an outer .metal rim 14, this rim being adapted to reare a series of radial pockets or recesses 17. -;These recesses preferably do not extend right through the felly 12 and are preferably of circular formas shown.

Disposed between the hub element and felly are a series of segmental cushions 18 j of rubberor such like suitable resilient mai terial.

Each cushion is provided with an outer or ma or curved surface 19 and an inner or minor curved surface 21 these surfaces conforming respectively to the inner periphery. of the, felly the outer pm riphery of the hub element. The ends of each segmental cushion are incut thereby forming inclined or dovetailed faces 22 which diverge inwardly in relation to the hub element and correspond to the inwardly converging ends 9 of the abutments 8. Each segmental cushion is thus provided at its ends with projecting peaks 23 which are adapted to fit beneath the overhanging peaks 11 of the projections or abutments 8 on the hub element.

As shown in Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 10 the segmental cushions are preferably provided at their ends with circumferential extensions or reduced portions 24 which overlap the abutments 8 and when the wheel is assembled form a substantially continuous resilient ring or cushion around the whole of its circumference.

Projecting from the outer curved surface 19 of each segmental cushion are a series of radial retaining pins 26. These retaining pins are formed integral with the cushions and are preferably of circular formation as shown to fit the circular pockets 17 in the felly 12.

It will be seen on reference to Fig. 7 that before their insertion into the wheel the retaining pins 26 of the segmental cushions do not register with the corresponding pockets 1'? of the felly so that they must be circumferentially compressed to cause the retaining pins to spring into the pockets and the peaks 23 to engage beneath the locking peaks 11 of the abutments 8. Likewise as seen in Fig. 8 the actual thickness or radial dimen sion of the cushions is greater than the annular space which exists between the hub element and the felly when the Wheel is assembled. It will thus be seen that the cushions are forced into position under pressure, and this feature contributes considerably to the efficiency of the wheel as the cushions are thereby held firmly in place preventing creepage and in addition providing suflicient resiliency without impair ing the stability of the wheel.

Passing through the bolt holes 6 in the inner rim of the hub element are holding bolts 27 carrying on their outer ends nuts 28. Attached by these bolts to the inner rim 4 is an inner circular side plate 29. This side plate carries a sidewardly or outwardly projecting annular flange 31 which passes continuously around the wheel and bears against the inner sides of the segmental cushions and the abutments 8 as seen in Fig. 10.

Also attached by the bolts 27 to the inner rim 4: is an outer removable side plate 32. This outer side plate is similar in construction to the inner side plate 29 and is provided with a sidewardly orinwardly projecting annular flange 33 which fits over the outer periphery of the hub element andbears against the outer side of the abutments and the segmental cushions which are thus held securely in their proper lateral position. The flanges 31 and 33 may be formed of wood and attached to the side plates 29 and 32 by screws or other suitable means or they may be cast or formed in one with the side plates.

To assemble the wheel the segmental cushions are attached to the inner periphery of the felly by circumferentially compressing them and forcing the retaining pins 26 into the pockets 17 When all the cushions have been thus attached the hub element is introduced and the opposed overhanging peaks 11 of two of the abutments 8 are passed over the corresponding peaks 23 of one of the cushions as shown in Fig. 8. By means of a clamp or other suitable device, the hub element and the felly are pressed toward each other at this point thereby compressing the cushion until the extensions 24; are engaged by the outer face of the abut-- ments 8. The hub element may now be worked into place by radially compressing the remaining cushions and forcing the peaks 11 of the abutments over those of the cushions. The inner and outer side plates 29 and 32 are now placed in position and secured to the hub element by the bolts 27 the inner sides of the annular flanges 31 and 33 engaging the sides of the segmental cushions and thereby preventing lateral displacement of the parts.

To obtain access to the interior of the wheel for inspection, repair, or other purposes all that is necessary is to remove the nuts 28, the outer side plate 32 may then be withdrawn revealing the cushions and other arts. p Although it is preferable to provide the cushions with the circumferential extensions 24 these extensions may if desired be eliminated as shown in Fig. 9 thereby forming spaces, indicated at 34, between the adjacent ends of the cushions.

The invention provides an extremely simple and efficient structure which may be readily assembled or dismantled. It may also be easily applied to. existing wheels by cutting down the spokes thereof to a suitable distance and attaching the inner rim and other parts in accordance with the in vention. In such cases the pockets or re cesses 17 may be formed if desired, in the ordinary felly or outer rim of the wheel.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a resilient wheel the combination of a hub element including an inner rim, a felly surrounding and spaced from said inner rim, a series of radial projections or abutments protruding centrally from the outer periphery of the inner rim, said abutments being of lesser width than the width of the outer periphery of the inner rim, a series of segmental cushions extending between said abutments and bearing against the outer periphery of the inner rim and the inner periphery of the felly, said cushions being also of less width than the inner rim, and inner and outer side plates having sidewardly projecting annular flanges which fit over the outer periphery of the inner rim and engage the sides of the cushions and the abutments.

2. In a resilient wheel the combination of a hub element including an inner rim, a felly surrounding and spaced from said in ner rim, a series of projections or abutments protruding centrally from the outer periphery of said inner rim, said abutments being of less width than the Width of the inner rim and having end surfaces which converge inwardly to the outer periphery of the inner rim, a series of segmental cushions each having an inner curved surface which bears against the outer periphery of the inner rim, an outer curved surface which bears against the inner periphery of the felly, and end surfaces which diverge inwardly in relation to the inner rim and engage the corresponding end surfaces of the abutments and an outer removable side plate having means to fit over the outer periphery of the inner rim and engage the sides of the cushions.

3. In a resilient wheel the combination of a hub element including an inner rim, a felly surrounding and spaced from said inner rim, a metallic binding ring surrounding and fixed to the outer periphery of the inner rim, a series of radial projections or abutments carried by said binding ring, a series of compressed segmental cushions extending between said abutments and bearing against the outer periphery of the inner rim and the inner periphery of the felly, an inner circu lar side plate having an outwardly projecting flange which fits over the binding ring and engages the inner sides of the cushions, and an outer removable side plate having an inwardly projecting flange which fits over the metal binding ring and engages the outer sides of the cushions.

4. In a resilient Wheel, the combination of a hub element including an inner rim, a felly surrounding and spaced from said inner rim, a series of radial projections or abutments protruding from the outer periphery of the inner rim and having inclined or dovetailed end faces forming overhanging locking peaks, a series of compressed segmental cushions extending between said abutments and bridging the space between the inner rim and the felly, integral retaining pins projecting from said cushions into pockets or recesses in the inner periphery of the felly, said cushions having at each end circumferential extensions which overlap the abutments and form a substantially continuous resilient ring between the hub element and the felly substantially as described.

5. In a resilient wheel, a hub element including an inner rim, a felly surrounding and spaced from the inner rim, a series of spaced radial abutments rigidly secured to the inner rim, a series of segmental cushions arranged upon the inner rim between the abutments and serving to engage the inner periphery of the felly, said segmental cushions having a substantially less width than the width of the periphery of the inner rim, plates secured to the opposite sides of the inner rim and spaced from the segmental cushions, and means to hold the segmental cushions against lateral displacement.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN STUART.

Witness:

C. W. P. ELAs'rENO.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

